Sooners Too Much For Lady Raiders

April 18, 2004

The Texas Tech Lady Raiders (11-8, 4-6 Big12) were unable to pull out a win today against the18th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (17-3, 6-2 Big 12) at the McLeod Tennis Center. With many hard-fought matches, Tech's No. 2 doubles team of Tara Browning and Kendall Brooks were the only Tech racquets to pull out a victory.

Head coach Cari Groce says here team is on the same level as the top in the Big 12, but says more consistent play will be what they need to upset a ranked team.

"There's no question that we competed well," said Groce. " We are on the same level and have the same level of athletes, but we are just gong to have to sustain longer periods of good points to upset a top 20 team."

In singles action, Tech's No.1 position Irina Tereschenko fell to the nation's fifth-ranked player in Oklahoma's Anda Perianu 7-5, 6-4. Tech's No.2 and No.3 positions in Kendall Brooks and Tara Browning fell in straight sets to Oklahoma's Irina Lykina and Gabby Baker. Brooks (Tech) lead the first set 4-2 before a last minute surge from Lykina (OU) who took the match 7-5, 6-2. Browning (Tech) was unable to stop the strong first-set of Baker (OU) who took the set 6-1. Browning (Tech) fought back in the second to take it to a tiebreak but just missed forcing a third set tiebreak, falling 7-6. In No.4 position Oklahoma's Heather Saluri defeated Tech's Lakann Wagley 6-3,6-3. In the Lady Raider's No.5 position, Katja Kovacic lost a hard fought match that saw action all the way to a third-set tiebreak. Kovacic (Tech) lost the first set in a tiebreak to Oklahoma's Jessica Braver after surging back to tie the set at six all. Kovacic sailed through the second set 6-2, but was unable to finish the tough match falling 10-7 in the tiebreak. Rounding out the last of Tech's competitors was Sarize Coetzee in the No.6 position, falling 7-5, 6-4, to Oklahoma's Joi-Lee Beachler.

In doubles action, the No.1 pairing of Tereschenko and Kovacic fell to the nations' 29th-ranked doubles team in the Sooners' Perianu and Saluri, 8-2. In Tech's only victory, the No.2 pairing of Browning and Brooks defeated Oklahoma's Lykina and Braver, 8-3. In Tech's No.3 position, the doubles pair of Wagley and Hristiyana Gocheva fell to Oklahoma's Baker and Bethany Griffin 8-4.

Though Tech was unable to overcome the Sooners, Head Coach Groce remains confident in her team's ability to fight until the end.

"We have a fighting mentality," said Groce. "Oklahoma came out strong and took the first sets from us, but we didn't give up, and came out and played hard in the second. That is all credit to the fighting mentality of our players."

The Lady Raiders will return to action April 24th when they take on the Texas Longhorns in Austin. The Texas match up is set for a 1 p.m. start.

TTU 0, OU 7

Singles
No.1- Anda Perianu (OU) def. Irina Tereschenko (Tech) 7-5, 6-4No.2- Irina Lykina (OU) def. Kendall Brooks (Tech) 7-5, 6-2No.3- Gabby Baker (OU) def. Tara Browning (Tech) 6-1, 7-6No.4- Heather Saluri (OU) def. Lakann Wagley (Tech) 6-3, 6-3No.5- Jessica Braver (OU) def. Katja Kovacic (Tech) 7-6, 2-6, 10-7No.6- Joi-Lee Beachler (OU) def. Sarize Coetzee (Tech) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles
No.1- Perianu/Saluri (OU) def. Tereschenko/Kovacic 8-2No.2- Browning/Brooks (Tech) def. Lykina/Braver 8-3No.3- Baker/Bethany Griffin (OU) def. Wagley/Hristianya Gocheva 8-4

Related News

Next Event

Related News

Related Videos